City Map Compare/Hangzhou vs Zurich
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5 km
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Hangzhou

16,854 km²

Zurich

88 km²

Hangzhou vs Zurich - City Size Comparison

Hangzhou vs Zurich - City Size Comparison

Hangzhou

People's Republic of China

Area16,854 km²
Population11.94M
Density708 /km²
Elevation19 m
Zurich

Switzerland

Area88 km²
Population0.43M
Density4,886 /km²
Elevation408 m
Metro Pop.1.4M
Founded15 BC
Climateoceanic

Area Comparison

Hangzhou is 191.5x larger than Zurich

Population Comparison

Hangzhou has 27.8x more people than Zurich

Is Hangzhou Bigger Than Zurich?

Yes — Hangzhou is 191.5x larger than Zurich by area. Hangzhou spans 16,854 km² (6,507 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 16,766 km². You could fit Zurich inside Hangzhou approximately 191 times.

To put Hangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 16,854 km² is about 2.7x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).

Hangzhou's footprint is roughly about 2,400,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Zurich works out to about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.

About Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the capital city and most populous city of Zhejiang province, China, situated at the intersection of the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the head of Hangzhou Bay. Renowned as one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, Hangzhou is celebrated for its cultural heritage and its West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Known as "Paradise on Earth", Hangzhou covers 16,854 km² with a population of 11.9 million. Hangzhou is known for West Lake, Grand Canal terminus, Lingyin Temple, among other attractions.

Hangzhou's West Lake is a UNESCO World Heritage site, drawing visitors to its celebrated cultural landscape.

About Zurich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.

Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).

Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.

Population Density

Hangzhou has a population density of 708 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Zurich is dramatically more crowded, with 6.9x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Zurich fits inside Hangzhou ~191 times

Density Gap

Zurich is 6.9x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Hangzhou

Hangzhou covers 16,854 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Beijing (16,411 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Zurich

Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hangzhou bigger than Zurich?
Hangzhou is 191.5 times larger than Zurich by area. Hangzhou covers 16,854 km² while Zurich spans 88 km², a difference of 16,766 km².
How many times does Zurich fit inside Hangzhou?
Zurich (88 km²) fits inside Hangzhou (16,854 km²) approximately 191 times. That means Hangzhou is 191.5x the area of Zurich.
What is the population difference between Hangzhou and Zurich?
Hangzhou has approximately 11.9 million people, while Zurich has about 0.4 million. Hangzhou has 11.5 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Hangzhou or Zurich?
Zurich is more densely populated with 4,886 people per km², compared to 708 people per km².
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Hangzhou and Zurich

The straight-line distance from Hangzhou to Zurich is 9,013 km (5,600 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 6m.

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